'Shuttle Bike' lets cyclists defy the water's edge

For cyclists who don't want to stop at the water's edge, a new water bike is gaining some media buzz with its crowdfunding campaign to bring the project to the masses.

Project founder Judah Schiller has been raising awareness by riding the Bay Cycle -- which is essentially a bike mounted on pontoons -- across the San Francisco Bay and New York's Hudson River.

To get your bike on the water, you'll need a kit called Shuttle Bike, made in Italy by a small manufacturer called SKB, that can be worn as a backpack and can be used to convert any bike into a self-propelled water bike in about 10 minutes.

To get your bike on the water, you'll need a kit called Shuttle Bike, that can be worn as a backpack and can be used to convert any bike into a self-propelled water bike in about 10 minutes. (BayCycle Project)

The Bay Cycle project "is really about opening a new aquatic frontier in biking, and why not?" Schiller says in a video. "Within about 10 minutes you can have your bike on the water using your own pedaling power. If the water gets choppier, it actually becomes more like mountain biking."

CNET reports that the Bay Cycle project intends to raise funds to buy Shuttle Bike kits to sell in the US, while the Indiegogo campaign suggests research and prototyping new designs, in addition to raising awareness of bike commuting over water.

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But it is really practical? Outside magazine writes that "hopping into a sea kayak -- provided you've got somewhere to stow it on the opposite shore -- [is] a more appealing transbay commute." Plus in some cases, you'll need to keep an eye on commercial ship traffic, which could get hairy. Still, Gizmag writes that "judging by the BayCycle video, riders can work up to impressive speed."

Schiller plans to organize large groups on the water and plan races, and will get a tattoo in the honor of whoever donates $25,000 to the project.

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